HMCS HEPATICA (K159)

The History of the HEPATICA

Commissioned on November 12, 1940, at Quebec City, Hepatica arrived at Halifax on November 17 and left on December 18 with convoy HX.97, armed with a dummy 4-inch gun. The real thing was installed, and other deficiencies remedied, at Greenock, completing on March 6, 1941. After working up in April, she joined EG 4, Greenock. In June, after brief service as a U.K.-Iceland escort, she was assigned to NEF for the rest of the year, escorting convoys between Iceland at St. John's. Late in January, 1942, she escorted SC.64, the inaugural "Newfie-Derry" convoy, and for the next three months served on that run. In June she joined the Tanker Escort Force, operating from Halifax, for one round trip to Trinidad and the, late in July, joined Gulf Escort Force as a Quebec-Sydney convoy escort. In October she was reassigned to Halifax Force, escorting Quebec-Labrador convoys and, in December, to WLEF. She was to serve with WLEF for the remainder of the war, from June, 1943 as a member of EG W-5 and from April, 1944, with W-4. During this period Hepatica had to extensive refits from February 11 to April 1, 1943 and March 20 to June 8, 1944 both at New York. The latter refit included the lengthening of her fo'c's'le, and was followed by three weeks' workups in Bermuda. She left St. John's May 23, 1945, as escort to HX.358, and on June 23 was handed over to the RN at Milford Haven. She was broken up at Llanelly, Wales, in 1948.